Australia’s former aggressive opening batsman Aaron Finch, under whose captaincy the Aussies won their maiden ICC T20 World Cup title in 2021, has backed Ben Stokes in demanding the umpire’s call to be scrapped away from the Decision Review System which often gives two different opinions in the same appeal.
Ben Stokes made his intentions clear during a press conference that followed right after England’s 434-run loss in the 3rd Test against India in Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah stadium. He went at the rule makers in the context of Zak Crawley who departed in evident frustration after his DRS against the on-field umpire’s decision stood despite the ball from Jasprit Bumrah just clipping the leg-stump.
“Have technology that’s either good enough or don’t use it at all” – Finch opines on Umpire’s call
While appearing in a recent ESPN Australia show called “Around the Wicket”, Aaron Finch was critical about the system, claiming that it’s important to have a technology that’s 100% correct or else there is no point in having it. He claimed that having two decisions on a single appeal is ridiculous and since he has retired, he can openly back Ben Stokes on scrapping Umpire’s call.
“I think it should be scrapped. You need to have technology that’s either good enough or don’t use it at all. Having two decisions that can be out or not out and both are right is just ridiculous. I have been a beneficiary of a few umpire’s calls. Now that I have retired, I can say it should be scrapped,” Finch said via Around the Wicket show.
Finch’s former teammate and fellow panelist Callum Ferguson had a totally opposite opinion as he took a dig towards England that they have gone mad just because that decision was not in their favor. “Nah I don’t think it should be scrapped. They’re just being bitter about it because one decision didn’t go their way,” Ferguson opined.
Crawley’s umpire’s call instance isn’t the only one that has happened in the series but the fact that his presence was crucial for England in their unsuccessful chase of 557 runs, Ben Stokes became particularly furious about it in the press conference.
Regardless of it, England currently find their backs against the wall and are in danger of losing the series if they don’t come out on top of India in the 4th Test at Ranchi which starts in 3 days.
Michael Clarke asks Ben Stokes to keep his players’ blabbering mouth in check
Another former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke who led the Aussies towards their 5th Cricket World Cup title in 2015, cryptically asked Ben Stokes to keep his players’ waffling comments in check on the light of Ben Duckett’s remarks on Bazball inspiring Yashasvi Jaiswal to smack consecutive double centuries in the series.
Clarke lashed out at Duckett by stating that the latter should not proclaim himself as aggressive just because he plays a few unconventional shots and reminded him that there have been players like Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist among others have had an aggressive approach even before Bazball existed.
“Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist. Mate, these guys used to smack them as good as anyone. So because you’re playing a switch-hit, a reverse sweep or a ramp shot, that doesn’t mean you’re batting aggressively,” Clarke said.